One in five patients with Cerebral Palsy has either an extreme or average intellectual disability. intellectual disabilities from cerebral palsy is whereby a person or in this case, a patient has difficulty in learning and adapting to daily social and practical behavior and skills.
Cerebral Palsy is a disease that affects a person’s mobility, speech, balance, ability to eat, and sleep. The severity of the disease varies among patients when it comes to the effects, including intellectual disability. Experts say that the more a patient is physically impaired, the more likely they are to have an intellectual disability.
It is important to note that intellectual disability among cerebral palsy patients is an associative condition. The disease does not necessarily cause it. Additionally, intellectual disability is also referred to as, in some cases, as mental retardation.
There are four stages of intellectual disability that can affect a cerebral palsy patient.
- Mild
- Moderate
- Severe
- Profound
Although it is expected that a cerebral palsy patient with a severe physical impairment to have the same level of intellectual disability, it is not usually the case. Some patients with extreme physical impairment have been found not to have an intellectual disability and vice versa.
Some common intellectual disabilities include;
- Down syndrome
- Fragile x syndrome
- Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
Down syndrome and Fragile X syndrome are known as genetic and chromosomal conditions. However, it is unlikely for Down syndrome to be passed down from one generation to another.
It is important to note that intellectual disability from cerebral palsy, in some cases, can be a secondary disorder. Speech and mobility are the most common physical disabilities among cerebral palsy patients.
A patient with an intellectual disability from Cerebral Palsy will have the following characteristics;
- Challenges in processing information and learning
- Difficulty with abstract thought
- Challenges with social interactions
- Stress in daily functioning which can occur in different ways
- Problems with maintaining personal care and hygiene and planning
- Inability to make and keep and friends, communication, judgment, among others.
- Difficulty in retaining memory, problem-solving skills, reading, learning languages, writing, reasoning, among others.
The above characteristics vary among patients. Among the various forms of Cerebral Palsy, research has shown that patients with spastic quadriplegia are most likely to suffer intellectual disability among other mental disabilities.
It is important to note that intellectual disability can be caused by other factors apart from cerebral palsy. Some of the factors include; premature birth, complications during delivery, exposure to environmental toxins, among others. Environmental factors are more prevalent in communities that live in poverty.
Parents who suspect that their children have an intellectual disability for one reason or the other should always seek medical help. Additionally, the parents must go for counseling from an experienced professional doctor.
0 Comments